


Roll For Initiative

by Tat_Tat



Category: The Venture Bros
Genre: F/M, Gen, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Multi, Polyamory Negotiations, Relationship Negotiation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:33:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28530771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tat_Tat/pseuds/Tat_Tat
Summary: After a talk with Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, Henchman 21 hesitantly reevaluates his feelings for the married couple.
Relationships: Dr. Girlfriend/Henchman 21/The Monarch
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	Roll For Initiative

**Author's Note:**

> After 21's outburst in Operation: P.R.O.M. I kept waiting for something like what I wrote to happen in the show. Now that the show has been canceled I'm not sure that's ever going to happen.

They never really brought up that one night -the one where 21 made out with Dr. Mrs.The Monarch over The Monarch- again until years after. It came up on accident, long after 21 had (sort of) put his feelings for his bosses behind him.

They had been playing a long game of DnD and his character had been developing a romantic relationship with The Monarch’s bard. It wasn’t intentional on either part, it just happened that way like that kiss many years ago. Both men questioned where this was going- The Monarch insecure about his sexuality and 21 was trying not to read into what was happening, because he just couldn’t. Just couldn’t do this again. Things were finally normal- well, as far as normal went for the three of them. And that had taken years. Years. 21 had been tempted to leave again but never did because the last time he had, that had sucked. Balls.

The Monarch’s character initiated a kiss with 21’s on the premise that it was a ‘totally heterosexual bonding excercise’. Dr. Mrs. The Monarch had raised a brow at that, arms crossed and gave him a , ‘sure it is’ kind of look. 

21 just sucked in a deep breath. ‘So this is happening.’ He told himself. Okay.. . 

“He kisses him back passionately.” He added to the story. The intrigued look Dr. Mrs. The Monarch gave him wasn’t missed.

They talked about it later in the middle of the night while 21 was checking the perimeter of their house. She had stopped him at the white picket fence, wearing nothing but a bathrobe that showed off her cleavage and kept slipping off her shoulder blades.

“I always wondered what would have happened.” She said. “If he hadn’t woken up back then.”

“Probably would have fucked.” 

“Would have. We still could, Gary.”

It surprised him sometimes when she used his real name, made whatever they were talking about more serious. “Yeah, I know.”

“Then why not? Are you still mad about. . “ She trailed off and knit her brows. “What _are_ you mad about? Huh, I never thought to ask.” She mumbled the last part to herself thoughtfully.

“I never thought to ask myself that either.” He knit his brows. “I guess I wish we’d all talked about it first and uh. . . I dunno, I’m not really into the whole ‘swinging’ thing. I mean, I guess if you’re talking to me about this then it's’ obvious I like The Monarch too so it’s not like I want you to myself. I. . “ He sighed. “I don’t really like the idea of sharing you both with anyone else. I just want it to be, you know, just us three.” He faltered. “Is that selfish of me?”

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch took a seat into one of the lawn chairs they so rarely used. It creaked with rust as she settled into it. “Actually, I’m over the swinger thing. There’s a lot of drama. Not that a thrupple wouldn’t have it’s own kind of drama. I’ve been thinking about it a lot.”

“Yeah?” 21 took a seat in a similarly worn chair next to her.

“The Monarch has too. But, he has his own qualms. Thinks that if he kisses a man then Dr. Venture won’t take him seriously as an arch nemesis. I keep telling him there’s a long history of successful bi and pansexual villains but he’s stuck in his own head about it.” 

“The guy walks around dressed like a butterfly.” 

She shrugged, nodding. It didn’t really make sense but it was The Monarch and they were both used to (and loved him for) it.

“That game we’re playing is really helping him come around. It’s making him question his own bullheadedness about his sexuality.”

“It is?”

“Yeah, the other day he was checking you out and didn’t throw a tantrum minutes after. Oh, you didn’t know that?” She waved her hand. “He used to do that- start to get cranky over nothing. ”

“Wait, he was looking at me?” 21 looked down at himself, even though he was all muscle, he was the kind of muscle that was thick and beefy, not slim and svelte or like Arnold Schwarzenegger. He resembled the Hulk, not his ideal body. He knew he was fit and healthier than he’d ever been before 24’s passing but he had never felt attractive.

“Oh yeah, it’s so cute it’s almost obnoxious.” She grinned. “You got a lot more going than you think you do, Gary.”

For the next half of the year, the relationship between The Monarch’s and 21’s DnD characters started to flourish. The Monarch had commissioned an artist to draw their characters holding hands but the moment The Monarch said their characters kissed without adding a tag line to excuse the behavior, 21 and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch looked at each other, mutually proud of him for coming so far.

Now they just had to hope that if the two kissed (and not just their characters) that The Monarch wouldn’t have a relapse of internalized homophobia. They were both surprised that it had been The Monarch’s idea- that 21 and him dress as their characters in the bedroom. Dr. Mrs. The Monarch suspected this would put too much pressure on them and suggested they try it on the sofa first. As their DM, she had written out a scenario just for this moment. It was an art to be able to nudge players into the right places but still give them the wiggle room to move and grow at their own pace.

Both men were hesitant but as they got deeper into their roles, their inhibitions shed, fully committed to their characters. It was 21 who initiated the kiss at the corner of The Monarch’s mouth. It was a tentative show of affection, indirect. He thought it would help The Monarch, maybe it did because The Monarch grabbed his hand, rolled his eyes and said snidely in that nasally voice of his: “you call that a kiss?” And pulled him into a direct kiss. They parted momentarily and looked at each other before going back at it again.

At that point Dr. Mrs. The Monarch suspended her storytelling duties and followed both men into the bedroom.

**Author's Note:**

> Nothing like DnD to explore your identity and sexuality.


End file.
